New 'apples and pairs' and replica windows

That said, my guide for my ber-tour of the magnificent building, Superintendent Colin Sharpe, is keen to point out all the small pieces of original woodwork that was salvaged and re-used in defiance of the bombers.

"You can see we have an old piece here," says Colin, scooting across to a panel of slightly darker-looking wood, hitting it a good slap in the same way you greet an old friend in hearty fashion.

My curiosity being what it is - I refuse to call it being nosy - I ask about the rectangular indentations, which I call 'things like flowerboxes' going up the right-hand side.

"Funny, that's exactly what they are," Colin says, adding: "Those were made specifically for the staircase because there used to be just a hole straight down there to where the old printworks used to be just underneath, but it's now councillors' rooms - I must show you those as well."

Oddly enough, I never got to see those rooms, and by this stage I'm feeling a bit like that advert where people are whisked at break-neck speed through an art gallery - you know the one - it has the woman admiring the fire bucket full of sand and ends with them all dallying over a certain beer? How Colin kept talking for so long I have no idea, but he remains in buoyant mood talking nine to the dozen.

Anyway, these flowerboxes remain empty unless you have some big function like the Mayor's Ball (next month) or an extravagant function.

Colourful

"The council in their days had their own nursery and we would have had them changed every Monday - at that stage. Having plants up the stairwell was lovely. It was very colourful. But, the council sold off the nursery so now for special functions we would bring in planters and set them into these boxes."

Hanging on the wall above the boxes are two plaques. The larger, more ornate one commemorates the opening of the Guildhall in July 1890 and contains a list of the Aldermen, Councillors and Chief Officers. A decorative piece it is also bomb-damaged, and hanging beside it is a smaller version commemorating the re-opening in May 1977.

"The building was closed for five years for the refurb, while it originally took three years to build - what does that tell you?" he laughs.

Half way up the stairs is a stunning set of window lights. Unfortunately the photograph reproduced here does not do them any justice, so at the risk of repeating myself, why don't you nip in some day and just look at them yourself in person - they are stunning - particularly now that we have brilliant sunshine streaming through them? These are the Mercers windows, which were presented in 1912.

"These were the Merchant Banks of London. You will see throughout these windows Coats of Arms and Crests of different Kings and Queens who granted the Royal Charters to the Merchant Banks, and at the bottom of each window you see some of the famous halls of London: The Banqueting Hall and Mercers Hall of London, the first Royal Exchange, the present Royal Exchange and St Paul's School Hammersmith," Colin says, pointing as he talks.

Finest examples

"The stained glass was not in the original building when it was opened n July 1890, the stained glass was added from about 1910 onwards. All of the stained glass, so it wasn't in the original building. It was a firm from Belfast, Robinson Bros, who originally did all the stained glass in the Guildhall, and they were taken over and are now known as Caldermac and they still do all our stained glass windows," he says, proudly adding: "We have some of the finest examples of stained glass housed here in the Guildhall that you would see in the whole of the UK."

It's true, you know, the Guildhall is extensively decorated in stained glass. If you get a nice bright day outside the rainbow effect throughout, but especially down the stairs and across the flooring, is exquisite.

"These are all replicas of the original windows because they all suffered in the bombing of 1972, and there are none of the original windows left in the Guildhall. Not one, I will show you a section of a window that is, but it is not a whole window," Colin says, adding that there are colour slides of every section of every window in the building just in case the unthinkable ever happens...

Irrespective of your perspective on this City's historic links with London, one thing that makes these windows unique, and I mean truly unique, is that no other town or city in the world has any link with London the way we have, and consequently, don't have the same myriad of stained glass as this City does with strong references back to London. Surely that is something to get excited about and celebrate...is it not?

Just to finish this week look at the final of the photos - the one of the stone arch. Have a good close look at the top of it - it's topped with two shield carrying stone lions that echo the former mayor's chair arm rests, but which were incorporated into the decorative wooden wall panel. The folk who designed this place inside and out have gone to incredible detail to make sure that the themes all tie in.